Just days after Sydney’s Shore School made headlines for an abhorrent Muck-Up Day plan, Newcastle’s prestigious Merewether High School has found itself in a similar situation.
The selective state school, which is highly regarded for its impressive academic results, is now the subject of much controversy after students’ muck-up day plans reportedly involved messaging an abuse victim to “defend pedophiles,” the Daily Mail reports.
The heinous and cruel act was part of a system similar to what was seen in Shore School’s Triwizard Shorenament, where students were asked to complete a number of demeaning and illegal tasks to score points.
According to screenshots obtained by the Daily Mail, other tasks included “abuse a teacher through email” and “film your dick going from flaccid to erect and speed it up so it looks like it’s doing it heaps fast.”
A former student, who is now studying at university, confided in a friend about traumatic sexual abuse she faced as a child. However, it was this so-called ‘friend’ who suggested the students target her in the prank, essentially making a mockery of a traumatic experience.
The girl was unaware she was being targeted as part of the muck-up day “prank” until she received the message, which triggered past traumatic memories for her.
“I really think pedophiles aren’t that bad,” the message read. “My uncle was one and I think he’s a good bloke. Is there anything wrong with that?”
“Everyone is human. We are all the same, black, white, pedo, not pedo.”
As you’d expect, the girl confronted her friend after receiving the message, asking why someone would think it’s funny to make a joke out of such a traumatic and private situation.
“That shit is private, you literally made me being molested into a fucking scav challenge,” she said in the message.
She also took to Facebook to publicly condemn his actions, calling him out for sharing such a personal and traumatic story about her before she was ready to tell it. However, the post has since been removed for violating community guidelines.
But despite having names and evidence of the students involved, the girl was reportedly told that nothing could be done when she contacted police about the ordeal.
A spokesperson for NSW Education told PEDESTRIAN.TV Merewether students “have a very clear understanding of the high standards expected of them by the school in relation to their final days of schooling.”
“The posts setting up the ‘hunt’ were not from a student or students enrolled at Merewether High School, and the school referred the matter to police,” they added.
“A student who taunted a sexual assault survivor online was barred from the final Year 12 departure ceremony and is facing further disciplinary action when school resumes.”
